Page:Dickens - A Child s History of England, 1900.djvu/707

Rh When we reached the coast, we got native boats as substitutes for the rafts; and we rowed along under the land; and in that beautiful climate, and upon that beautiful water, the blooming days were like enchantment. Ah! They were running away, faster than any sea or river, and there was no tide to bring them back. We were coming very near the settlement where the people of Silver-Store were to be left, and from which we marines were under orders to return to Belize.

Captain Carton had, in the boat by him, a curious long-barrelled Spanish gun, and he had said to Miss Maryon one day that it was the best of guns, and had turned his head to me and said:

"Gill Davis, load her fresh with a couple of slugs, against a chance of showing how good she is." So I had discharged the gun over the sea, and had loaded her, according to orders, and there it had lain at the captain's feet, convenient to the captain's hand.

The last day but one of our journey was an uncommonly hot day. We started very early; but there was no cool air on the sea as the day got on, and by noon the heat was really hard to bear, considering that there were women and children to bear it. Now we happened to open, just at that time, a very pleasant little cove or bay, where there was a deep shade from a great growth of trees. Now the captain, therefore, made the signal to the other boats to follow him in and lie by a while.

The men who were off duty went ashore and lay down, but were ordered, for caution's sake, not to stray, and to keep within view. The others rested on their oars and dozed. Awnings had been made of one thing and another in all the boats, and the passengers found it cooler to be under them in the shade, when there was room enough, than to be in the thick woods. So the passengers were all afloat, and mostly sleeping. I kept my post behind Miss Maryon, and she was on Captain Carton's right in the boat, and Mrs. Fisher sat on her right again. The captain had Mrs. Fisher's daughter on his knee, He and the two ladies were talking about the pirates, and were talking softly; partly because people do talk softly under such indolent circumstances, and partly because the little girl had gone off asleep.

I think I have before given it out for my lady to write